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Category: News
September 22, 2023
William Upton
News
Politics

Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez Acted As Foreign Agent, Indicted By Fed. Grand Jury.

Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) has been indicted by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of New York over allegations of public corruption involving attempts to influence a federal prosecution, as well as participating in a foreign influence operation. Federal prosectors argue Menendez worked to disrupt the prosecution of long-time donor and associate Jose Uribe and essentially acted as an unregistered foreign agent for Arab Republic of Egypt.

Menendez and his wife Nadine received payments in cash, gold bars, and a luxury vehicle for their efforts on behalf of Uribe and the Egyptian government. The scheme to ensure military aid for Egypt ran through Menendez’s wife and Wael “Will” Hana, an Egyptian-American businessman.

During a June 2022 raid on the Menendez New Jersey residence, federal agents found over $480,000 in cash connected to the corruptions schemes. In addition, bars of gold and a Mercedes Benz were also seized in connection to the case. Much of the cash was hidden in articles of clothing owned by the Menendez’s, including several articles with Sen. Menendez’s name emblazoned on the front. The indictment also reveals Sen. Menendez googled “how much is one kilo of gold worth” after returning from a trip to Egypt.

The most serious allegations Menendez faces involve actions he took on behalf of Egypt and its military. The indictment alleges Menendez, through his position on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was able to obtain sensitive information about U.S. embassy staff in Cairo and subsequently passed it on to members of the Egyptian government. Additionally, once Sen. Menendez was able to secure passage of military sales and financing to Egypt, he – through his wife Nadine – contacted Hana who notified the Egyptian government. An Eygptian government official responded to a text from Hana with a ‘thumbs up’ emoji.

Sen. Menendez faces three counts in total: Conspiracy to Commit bribery, Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Fraud, and Conspiracy to Commit Extortion Under Color of Official Right.

UPDATE: Late this afternoon Senator Menendez announced he would be stepping down as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, of which he has served as a member since 2008. Democrat Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced the move, stating: “Senator Menendez has rightly decided to step down temporarily from his position as Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee until the matter has been resolved.”

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Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) has been indicted by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of New York over allegations of public corruption involving attempts to influence a federal prosecution, as well as participating in a foreign influence operation. Federal prosectors argue Menendez worked to disrupt the prosecution of long-time donor and associate Jose Uribe and essentially acted as an unregistered foreign agent for Arab Republic of Egypt. show more
desantis disney
September 22, 2023
Jack Montgomery
Culture
News

Disney Plans Woke Wakanda Attractions As DeSantis World Declares Victory.

Ron DeSantis’s presidential campaign team and surrogates are hailing the news that Disney – led by Bob Iger – is doubling its investment into theme parks, claiming the corporation has “abandoned the culture war” after clashing with the Florida Governor.

Former President Donald Trump warned in April that DeSantis was mishandling his conflict with Disney, potentially leading to reduced investment in or partial withdrawal from the Sunshine State for no tangible benefit. DeSantis booster John Hasson claims time has proven the former president wrong, as “Disney is increasing its FL investments and has abandoned the culture war”.

But while Disney’s CEO, Iger, has announced an increase in investments in parks and cruise ships, it is not clear how much of this will be allocated to Florida, and worse still, the news came at the same time Disney Parks boss floated the idea of a woke, “Wakanda“-themed attraction.

“We have a wealth of untapped stories to bring to life across our business,” said D’Amaro. “Frozen, one of the most successful and popular animated franchises of all time, could have a presence at the Disneyland Resort. Wakanda has yet to be brought to life. The world of Coco is just waiting to be explored. There’s a lot of storytelling opportunity.”

Nor has Iger actually said he is abandoning the culture war, merely telling investors the company will “quiet the noise” – a statement almost identical to the one the company made in April, before embarking on a summer of wokeness that saw drag queens greeting children at their parks.

Hispanic actress Rachel Zegler, who stars in next year’s live-action remake of Snow White, has also been outspoken about how her new, feminist version of the character will not be saved by a “stalker” prince or have any interest in “true love”, because “it’s no longer 1937.” The seven dwarfs of the original movie will also be replaced with a multi-racial cast of “magical creatures”.

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Ron DeSantis's presidential campaign team and surrogates are hailing the news that Disney – led by Bob Iger – is doubling its investment into theme parks, claiming the corporation has "abandoned the culture war" after clashing with the Florida Governor. show more

Editor’s Notes

Behind-the-scenes political intrigue exclusively for Pulse+ subscribers.

RAHEEM J. KASSAM Editor-in-Chief
Naturally, Team DeSantis will try to take whatever small or pyrrhic victories they can get right now, desperate as they are to leave some kind of mark on this presidential primary campaign
for exclusive members-only insights
Naturally, Team DeSantis will try to take whatever small or pyrrhic victories they can get right now, desperate as they are to leave some kind of mark on this presidential primary campaign show more
for exclusive members-only insights
September 22, 2023
Jake Welch
News
Politics
World

1 in 3 Europeans Are Now Voting for Populist Parties.

Just under one-third of Europeans – 32 percent – have started voting for both left-wing and right-wing populist political parties over the past several years as trust in establishment parties has plummeted, according to a recent analysis conducted across 31 countries.

Right-wing populist parties in particular “have really broadened their voter base and are forging coalitions of voters with very different concerns,” argues Daphne Halikiopoulou, comparative political scientist at the University of York and a PopuList co-author.

Europe has witnessed electoral success for populists in countries across the continent, including Sweden, the Netherlands, France, Austria, Germany, Italy, Poland, Hungary, and Spain, with a number of those going to the national polls within the next 12 months.

The share of the vote for populist parties has skyrocketed in recent years, as only 20 percent of Europeans voted for anti-establishment parties in the early 2000s, with even fewer in the 1990s, at just 12 percent. The researchers highlight a number of current political trends as the contributing factors, such as mass uncontrolled immigration from the third world, climate change – all but accepted as sacrosanct by the political mainstream – and other “culture war” issues.

Despite some fluctuation in the vote share, “the underlying trend is the numbers keep rising,” argues Matthijs Rooduijn, a political scientist at the University of Amsterdam, who led the research.

“Mainstream parties are losing votes; anti-establishment parties are gaining,” Rooduijn added.

Recent polling similarly found that right-wing populist parties are also expected to make major gains in next year’s European elections.

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Just under one-third of Europeans – 32 percent – have started voting for both left-wing and right-wing populist political parties over the past several years as trust in establishment parties has plummeted, according to a recent analysis conducted across 31 countries. show more
shutdown
September 22, 2023
News
Politics

House Breaks for Weekend as Defense Bill Fails, Shutdown Looms.

The House of Representatives will be adjourned for the next four days after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s attempt to pass a defense spending bill failed on Thursday. With Congress expected to return on Tuesday and only five days left to avoid a partial government shutdown, many in Washington now see one as inevitable.

McCarthy had expressed optimism earlier in the day about reaching a breakthrough on a stopgap spending measure, but a test vote on a $886 billion defense appropriations measure failed 216-212. Six Republicans joined with 210 Democrats to defeat the vote.

The Republican dissidents, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz, have been pushing for progress on separate appropriations bills before supporting any stopgap measure, and have been highly critical of McCarthy’s “pathetic” and “low energy” approach.

Former president Donald Trump has also weighed in, calling on Republicans to “defund all aspects of Crooked Joe Biden’s weaponized Government.”

House Democrats oppose the defense bill due to provisions including scrapping Critical Race Theory (CRT) training, abolishing the post of Chief Diversity Officer at the Defense Department, and banning drag shows at military sites.

The Senate, where the Democrats are in control, is yet to pass any appropriations bills, and disagrees with the House on top-line spending levels.

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The House of Representatives will be adjourned for the next four days after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's attempt to pass a defense spending bill failed on Thursday. With Congress expected to return on Tuesday and only five days left to avoid a partial government shutdown, many in Washington now see one as inevitable. show more
Hunter
September 21, 2023
Crime
News

No ‘Special Treatment’ – Hunter Ordered to Appear in Person for Gun Felonies Arraignment.

Hunter Biden has been ordered by U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher Burke to appear in person at his October 3rd arraignment for three felony gun charges. The court order, issued on Wednesday, states that Joe Biden’s eldest son “should not receive special treatment”. His lawyers had requested a video appearance, citing the financial impact on government resources and the logistical burden of traveling to Delaware.

The request for a virtual appearance was opposed by Special Counsel David Weiss, who argued an in-person hearing is important to maintain public confidence. Weiss said the court has mostly held in-person appearances to treat defendants consistently since the expiration of an order authorizing video teleconferencing due to COVID-19 in June 2022.

Regardless of his mode of appearance, Hunter intends to waive the reading of the indictment and plead not guilty to the charges.

He has been indicted on three felony counts related to the purchase of a firearm in October 2018 while he was a drug abuser. He is alleged to have knowingly made false statements on his firearms purchase form, to have falsely represented himself to the firearms dealer, and to have possessed a firearm despite being an illegal drug abuser.

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Hunter Biden has been ordered by U.S. Magistrate Judge Christopher Burke to appear in person at his October 3rd arraignment for three felony gun charges. The court order, issued on Wednesday, states that Joe Biden's eldest son "should not receive special treatment". His lawyers had requested a video appearance, citing the financial impact on government resources and the logistical burden of traveling to Delaware. show more
September 21, 2023
William Upton
NatSec
News
Politics
TECH

Top DeSantis, ‘Club for Growth’ Backers Are CCP App Investors Working to Prevent U.S. Ban.

Major backers of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s presidential campaign have also been working diligently on Capitol Hill to prevent the U.S. government from banning the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok – a suspected espionage tool. The neoliberal Club for Growth has become a leading voice in Washington, D.C. in opposing a ban or substantive restrictions. The Club for Growth’s opposition efforts appear to be financially fueled, in part, by billionaire Jeff Yass.

In 2012, Yass took a roughly 7 percent stake in ByteDance – TikTok’s Chinese parent company. Valued at $21 billion today, Yass’s ByteDance investment makes up a bulk of his $28 billion net worth. In order to protect the wealth he’s acquired, Yass has leaned heavily on The Club for Growth’s influence among Republican lawmakers. Since 2010, Yass has contributed $61 million the neoliberal advocacy group’s political action committee – just under a quarter of its budget over the same period.

Two of the Club for Growth’s biggest allies in Congress, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), have been outspoken critics of efforts to ban TikTok. Both lawmakers have also received contributions from Yass.

Yass’s effort to protect his Chinese investment extends to the 2024 presidential campaign, as well. The Club for Growth was an early backer of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. A committee supporting the Florida governor’s presidential bid has received nearly $3 million from Yass.  In late 2022, when most Republican governors moved to ban TikTok on state government devices, Gov. DeSantis demurred – only finally signing a government device ban in May of this year shortly before announcing his presidential bid. Douglas Leone, whose Sequoia Capital is another major investor TikTok investor, has contributed at least $2 million to the pro-DeSantis SuperPAC Never Back Down.

ByteDance and TikTok’s control by the Chinese Communist Party has been well documented. The social media app’s parent company ByteDance has received significant financial support from the state-owned China Internet Investment Fund. The company has several cooperation agreements with the Chinese Ministry of Public Security and least one ByteDance vice-president, Zhang Fuping, also serves as a committee secretary within the Chinese Communist Party.

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Major backers of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis's presidential campaign have also been working diligently on Capitol Hill to prevent the U.S. government from banning the Chinese-owned social media app TikTok – a suspected espionage tool. The neoliberal Club for Growth has become a leading voice in Washington, D.C. in opposing a ban or substantive restrictions. The Club for Growth's opposition efforts appear to be financially fueled, in part, by billionaire Jeff Yass. show more
covid vaccine breast milk
September 21, 2023
Jake Welch
Health
News

mRNA COVID Vaccine Found in Breast Milk.

The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have been found to contaminate breast milk, according to a recent study published in the Lancet Discovery Science journal earlier this week.

The study – to which eight researchers and scientists contributed – asked 13 mothers to provide frozen breast milk samples both before and after mRNA vaccination, which were then analyzed by the researchers.

They found that ten of the 13 women’s breast milk carried traces of the coronavirus vaccine, although those traces were not found to be biologically active. “For lactating mothers receiving the vaccine, our results suggest that the vaccine LNPs will reach the breast tissue,” the researchers explain.

The scientists also note that “limited research has been conducted on the systemic distribution of vaccine mRNA during lactation and whether it is excreted in human breast milk,” suggesting that far more research is necessary to learn the extent of the contamination.

Notably, the results dispel the initial claim that the vaccine stays localized in the arm after vaccination and does not travel systematically throughout the body; on the contrary, the researchers found that mRNA vaccinations can spread from blood to milk.

The COVID-19 vaccines have been similarly found to impact menstruation, with millions of women suffering menstrual disturbances after receiving the jab.

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The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines have been found to contaminate breast milk, according to a recent study published in the Lancet Discovery Science journal earlier this week. show more
September 21, 2023
Jake Welch
News

Almost 3/4 of Americans Think The Nation is Becoming a Police State.

Almost three-quarters of Americans – 72 percent – admit to being concerned that the United States is becoming a “police state” engaging in mass surveillance, censorship, ideological indoctrination, and the targeting of political opponents, according to a recent survey from Rasmussen Reports.

Of those concerned, 46 percent told pollsters that they were “very concerned” that the state is becoming tyrannical, with 26 percent answering “somewhat concerned.” Only 23 percent of Americans said they were not concerned, with less than one in ten Americans answering “not at all concerned.”

Rasmussen also asked the 998 likely American vetoers whether they agreed with the statement: “The FBI is a danger to the freedom and security of law-abiding Americans?”

Half of the respondents agreed with the statement, with the majority answered “strongly agree.” Republicans overwhelmingly agreed, with 45 percent answering “strongly agree” and another 23 percent answered “somewhat agree.”

A total of 45 percent disagreed with the statement, with 26 percent strongly disagreeing. Democrats felt more strongly that the FBI assists freedom and security as 36 percent strongly disagreed, and a further 22 percent somewhat disagreed.

Lastly, Rasmussen asked whether those surveyed: “Which political party is a bigger threat to basic liberties in America: Democrats or Republicans?”

Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of both parties – 76 percent of Republicans and 65 percent of Democrats – told pollsters the opposition party was the greater threat. However, more Democrats believe their party is a bigger threat at 26 percent than Republicans at 20 percent.

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Almost three-quarters of Americans – 72 percent – admit to being concerned that the United States is becoming a "police state" engaging in mass surveillance, censorship, ideological indoctrination, and the targeting of political opponents, according to a recent survey from Rasmussen Reports. show more
September 21, 2023
William Upton
Breaking
Media
News

Murdoch OUT! News Corp, Fox Mogul Steps Down After Decades.

Rupert Murdoch is stepping down from his roles as the chairman of the Fox Corporation and the executive chairman at News Corp. The Australian billionaire will serve as chairman emeritus at both companies.

In a letter to colleagues, Murdoch announced that his son, Lachlan, would become the sole chairman of both media companies. “For my entire professional life, I have been engaged daily with news and ideas, and that will not change. But the time is right for me to take on different roles, knowing that we have truly talented teams and a passionate, principled leader in Lachlan who will become sole Chairman of both companies,” Murdoch wrote.

 

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Rupert Murdoch is stepping down from his roles as the chairman of the Fox Corporation and the executive chairman at News Corp. The Australian billionaire will serve as chairman emeritus at both companies. show more
September 21, 2023
Jack Montgomery
News
World

Poland Halts Weapons Transfers to Ukraine After Being Insulted by Zelensky at the UN.

Poland, Ukraine’s strongest supporter in Europe, has announced it will no longer send weapons to Volodymyr Zelensky, who insulted the NATO member at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly over its efforts to stop an influx of Ukrainian grain.

Ukraine is a major grain producer and exporter, and Zelensky has often claimed that Russia’s control over the Black Sea is preventing food from reaching the Third World – but much of the food leaving Ukraine is not going to the Third World, but instead flooding neighboring European Union member-states and undercutting local farmers.

The European Commission, the EU’s unelected executive, has refused to extend a temporary ban on Ukrainian grain, but Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia are imposing local bans unilaterally, in defiance of the EU’s claims to exclusive control over trade policy. Zelensky responded to the bans by insulting the governments involved at the UN, suggesting they are aiding Russia.

The Polish government, which is looking after more Ukrainian refugees than any other country, hosts workshops repairing Ukrainian military equipment, and has supplied Zelensky with artillery, tanks, and warplanes, has reacted strongly to the insult, declaring that Polish weapons shipments are now at an end: “We are now arming Poland,” said Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

Poland and Ukraine have a strained historical relationship, despite the former’s strong support for the Ukrainian war effort, with Ukrainian nationalists having massacred over a hundred thousand ethnic Poles in formerly Polish territory, now incorporated into Ukraine, during the Second World War. These nationalists, and in particular their leader Stepan Bandera, are celebrated as heroes in Ukraine to this day.

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Poland, Ukraine's strongest supporter in Europe, has announced it will no longer send weapons to Volodymyr Zelensky, who insulted the NATO member at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly over its efforts to stop an influx of Ukrainian grain. show more